Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Cursed!

The pendulum takes an eternity to move, but when it moves, it spins faster than helicopter rotor blades, as if it wants to take flight. And it spins…

Clockwise.

Clockwise for yes.

We’re cursed!

My whole body has been dropped into a snowbank. Or at least, that’s how it feels. I’m frozen and numb. Demos looks the same. Gussie is a bird statue.

Cursed.

In my human life, I thought curses were, frankly, ridiculous. That what people called ”

“That is a yes?” Kaline asks, with hesitant hope in her eyes, as if somehow the result will prove to be the opposite of the rules that Niall, the Hiccuping Hermit. just set out for us.

“A yes all the way, Young Miss,” Niall confirms, and Kaline’s face crumples.

“You…you mean we’re…” Vedette’s lips and tongue can’t even form the dreaded word.

“’Fraid so, my dear. Regrettably.” Niall lays his finger upside his nose, as if he originally wanted to pick his nose but then remembered his manners. “But that is why you came to the old Curse Remover, is it not?”

“Cursed…” Kaline hums, tapping the table. “I wonder who?”

With her fiery temper, Vedette elbows her, hard. “Wonder who? Someone has CURSED us, broken Mama’s and Papa’s hearts, and all you can say is–”

A true preteen who feels disrespected, Kaline stomps her foot. “Don’t you talk down to me!”

Demos rubs up against Vedette, attempting to pacify her, staring into her eyes with a mesmerizing stare. Meanwhile, I Velcro myself to Kaline, letting her feel my warmth and support. For once, Gussie stays quiet.

“Ahem.” Niall’s voice snaps us all back to the situation at hand. “The who, ah, that is an excellent question, Kaline. However, Vedette’s protective streak and empathy for her parents do her credit as well. Both responses are valid. Not everyone responds the same way to bad news, but we can’t tear each other apart. I’ve had to tell my eleven brothers and sisters this on more than one occasion. They all live in the same house.” He shrugs his small shoulders. “I live alone. Make of that what you will.”

Vedette grumbles, ignoring the tidbit that Niall just offered about himself. “She acts as if it doesn’t matter, what we’ve gone through–”

“Excuse me, Blaze got kidnapped.” Kaline’s voice rises. “And I slept with Mama and Papa for at least a month, maybe more, after Memo and Judo went missing.”

“That was because YOU were scared.” Vedette isn’t budging.

I growl. [Demos, all you control Vedette?]

[I will if you’ll get Kaline to cooperate.]

Gussie tut-tuts. “Cooperate, both of you.”

Her voice cuts through the sibling bickering, and Vedette and Kaline straighten up, looking sheepish. “Sorry,” they say to each other simultaneously.

With a look of approval Niall puts his pendulum aside and gets out a crystal sphere in which neon colors swirl. “Now then, we know that you are, indeed, cursed. What we do not know is who cursed you and why.”

“Why?” Kaline scoffs. “They’re jealous. Or, like Viscount Rossa, they think they’re doing the beasts a favor.”

Vedette snorts in agreement. “They might put on that oh-so-sweet smile, but behind that ’I’m your dearest friend’ mask, they are just waiting for the chance to strike. To humiliate us.”

Like Lady Lammermoor for instance? What if she’s the one that cursed us?

But wait, wouldn’t that be too convenient?

What if it’s someone we don’t expect?

I hope it’s not Hans Lammermoor. I don’t know why that thought popped into my head.

[Are you mad? Is your fur growing into your brain?] Demos doesn’t spare my ego.

[You’re right, you’re right, so sorry.]

[Honestly! You’re such a cub sometimes.] Demos is still sulking, indignant on behalf of Hans Lammermoor. [Would he be meeting us to help us if he was the one who cast the curse?]

Gussie demands, “Tell us about the curse.”

Niall rests his hands on the crystal globe, and the neon lights spin and swirl inside.

[Artifact Unlocked: Crystal Curse Finder. Gives +2 Magic Bonus whenever Blaze is around it.]

But wait a minute, doesn’t it also give a bonus to Demos and Gussie?

[Bonus of +2 Magic to other Tamed Beasts when Crystal Curse Finder is near.]

There. That’s more like it.

Niall chants in an arcane language, with Vedette and Kaline joining in. Honestly, it’s one of the languages I didn’t learn in the game when I was playing. I just thought that there would be more time for that.

After the chant finishes, the neon lights in the globe do a disco dance, then form a foggy image of…NO WAY.

Marble beasts from my vision.

I communicate this to Demos, who knows about it, and he tells Vedette.

Vedette turns pale, but does what she has to do, with a fortitude that I admire. “Niall, Blaze had a vision just like that. It was at the ball.”

It’s comical to see Niall’s violet eyes become huge and his hair seem to straighten from shock. “Ahhh. So, your beast possesses the gift of Dream Visions.”

[Blaze Ability Unlocked: Dream Visions.]

I want to dance on the table, but that would hardly be appropriate. I now have a new ability! Something of my own. Something special. Why I received this gift, I have no clue.

[Dream Visions?] Demos’ mouth hangs open.

Gussie flings a few feathers as she flaps wildly. [Blaze, how can you have those?]

[No one knows how beasts get that ability.] Demos regains his confidence. [But it’s said that the power is inborn. A beast has to be born with the gift.]

Kaline is beside herself with joy, while Vedette’s face is pure worry. “My Blaze has Dream Visions? We should have been listening to them! I’m going to write them down!”

She pulls out a tablet from her purse and makes a note of my ability and my specific dream vision. Watching her, Niall nods in approval.

“So, what does this vision mean?” Vedette asks. “The beasts look like statues…”

“Things,” Niall agrees, pointing to each shiny marble beast in the crystal ball. “Objects and treasures to be collected. Also, if they’re frozen like that, then they aren’t competition, are they? This curse is called the Captivious Hex.”

He slides a glowing magical tome beside the crystal ball and points to the pages that discuss the Captivious Hex.

The System provides the information. Read it and weep.

[CAPTIVIOUS HEX: Cast on an entire beast taming household. Unlike simple cantrips against beast, this one requires much mana and power to cast.

RANGE: One entire beast taming household and all the beasts within it.

DURATION: Until the caster reverses the spell or dies, whichever comes first.

EFFECTS: Makes beasts vulnerable to being lured away. Weakens bond between tamers and beasts. Luck and Magic are not affected, but are turned against the house. The longer the curse lasts, the more the beasts become open to the power of suggestion and no longer think or act for themselves.]

No wonder I had the image of pretty, lifeless beast statues! That’s what will happen with this curse. Judo and Memo must be completely brainwashed by now!

Gussie cries. “Noooo!”

“Oh, this is horrible,” Kaline sobs.

Vedette wipes away tears. “The poor beasts. To think that this happened with Judo and Memo…”

THWACK. Kaline slams her small fist down on the table, and Demo and I nearly jump out of our fur. “It’s not right! We have to stop them. How dare they do this?”

“Who is it?” Vedette grips the edge of the table, her knuckles stark white. “We need to know.”

Concentrating, Niall swirls his hands around the crystal ball, then slides his hands apart to reveal the answer…

Murky. A swirling dark cloud with angry-looking neon colors. Then, it forms the last thing we’d expect. I want to scratch my head. Honestly, the murky cloud is clearer than this image.

A midnight-black tiger with neon whiskers stares back at us from the depths of the crystal.

“I don’t recognize that symbol,” Kaline announces. “And I know all the symbols of the major houses. That’s not one of them.”

“My sister has an excellent memory for those, and it surpasses mine,” Vedette agreed. “But even I know this does not look familiar.”

Demos turns to me. [Don’t look at me.] Gussie shakes her head, bewildered.

With a frustrated look, sticking out his pink lower lip, Niall just glares at the image of the black neon-accented tiger. “It may represent a person, not a house. Or even a beast connected to a person. Only they can remove the curse. The good news is that I can lessen the pain that it causes your family. At least until we find the culprit.

“We?” Kaline, Vedette, and Gussie chorus.

Demos and I roar, astonished by Niall becoming our ally and sticking his neck out.

The colorful little man smiles. “But of course. This is the greatest curse mystery I have ever encountered. I promise you, we will break this curse!”

The wall clock chimes noon, ringing the bells in acknowledgment of Niall’s vow.

Kaline picks me up while Vedette collects Demos. “We appreciate you, Niall, but now we’re going to be late for an appointment! We’ll come back later.”

“Anytime,” Niall shouts.

I try to lick my fur on the way from Niall’s cottage to the sausage and pepper stand to meet Hans Lammermoor. After all, I need to look my best for Hans…and Lightning!

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